The cart rolled off toward the lakeside set, where the crew was already waiting. Luca knew the routine.
Beneath the shade of a great tree, with the shimmering lake behind them, he was to face his co-star and deliver his lines. It should have been easy—except for two things: suppressing his disgust for Camilla, and ignoring the unwanted guests. He hated when intruders watched his scenes. And now her… The intern's gaze felt like a knife, ready to cut through. He would not let her see a single weakness.
"We're starting in five," one of the director's assistants called.
Luca walked to his mark, reviewing the sequence in his head to push away his irritation. There were several takes today. He was looking forward to the ones with Camilla's body double—a seasoned theatre actress who occasionally took on doubles work for extra income. He admired her quiet professionalism. When he'd once asked why she never pursued screen roles, she'd replied, 'I'd rather be hit by a train than see my face on television.'
Was it an insult? Maybe she thought acting was only meant for theatre. He did his best, always—but he knew why he was here. Acting paid more. He would have been content if he were just a singer. Instead, he ended up a movie star, still not sure if he was good enough.
It could be that the double simply hated what television represented.
Unfortunately, the first take was with Camilla herself. She winked at him when no one was looking.
Damn you, Camilla, he thought, clenching his jaw.
"Both of you, take your positions!" Edward York called. Camilla turned away, perfectly professional.
"Everyone ready? Rolling in three, two, one... action!"
Luca's face shifted—his expression filled with sorrow and regret.
"I never thought this could be possible. You, of all people. After what we've been through… After...", he lifted his eyes, "... loving you so much."
But he lost his focus. His gaze fell upon the intern—impossible to miss in that ridiculous yellow hat. She was watching intently.
"Tell me it is a joke—"
"Cut!" the director's voice interrupted.
The intern had done it again. She'd destroyed his concentration.
"Luca, let's go again. You can do better," Edward said, his tone mildly reproachful.
"Yes, Edward," Luca said through clenched teeth. He'd be ready this time.
"Honey, is my perfume making you dizzy?" Camilla whispered.
"Will you shut up?" he muttered with a sinister smile.
And then a dreadful thought: What if the intern can read lips? Did she just notice Camilla calling him honey?
Panic and anger twisted together in his gut. How was he supposed to act like this?
"Luca? Are you ready?" the director called.
Luca raised an index finger, indicating he needed a moment. He turned around and closed his eyes, beginning his box breathing exercise. One, two, three, four, hold... One, two, three, four, hold.... He didn't have time for more than two rounds. He turned back, gave the director a thumbs up, and resumed his position. The assistant counted down again: "Three, two, one... Action!"
There we go again!
Luca stepped back into the role. "I never thought this could be possible. You, of all people. After what we've been through… After..." and as he had before, he raised his eyes, "... loving you so much." Even prepared, he felt a twitch when he saw the intern. "Tell me it's a joke. Tell me you never trusted Doron with our secret." Luca knew he wasn't connecting. Ηe was merely reciting. He was frustrated, and the director saw it.
"Cut!" he said. "Luca, you did so well this morning. Please concentrate," Edward York told him.
"Apologies. I will stay focused," Luca replied.
"Sugar, please give me a chance to say a line or two," Camilla said again in a low voice.
Luca chose not to respond. He had bigger concerns. Lexi was whispering something to the intern, and the intern nodded. He was certain they were commenting on his performance, even making fun of him, though they weren't laughing. He had to demonstrate that he wasn't talentless!
Maybe he hadn't studied drama in any prestigious drama school, but he had the inclination. His teachers told him so. It was time to prove to everyone, especially that intern who might never drop by the set again. He would blow them away.
York asked an assistant to count down. "Action!" was his signal. He was no longer himself; he was Rohart.
"I never thought this could be possible. You, of all people. After what we've been through… After…loving you so much." And now he looked the intern straight in the eyes. It was like talking to her. He made sure she heard exactly what he wanted her to hear.
"Tell me it's a joke. Tell me you never trusted Doron with our secret," he continued, knowing he was doing great. "But it's not. It's all your fault. We must go our separate ways now," he said without taking his eyes off her. The intern was petrified.
It was Camilla's turn now. "For the millionth time, my love. I never betrayed you," she said.
"No matter how much it hurts, we can't stay together. Leave…" Luca said, still to the intern. It just came so naturally to him now, because he had a target: to prove himself, to challenge the silent judge. And that last word? He totally meant it.
"I'm the only one who can help you, the only one who loves you," Camilla delivered her line.
"Don't love me anymore..." and now he had to lower his stare again. He had succeeded. Just before taking his eyes off the intern, he noticed her face. It was red. He had impressed her with his skills; he was certain she felt embarrassed for ever having made fun of him. He was so pleased he was about to smile, but dared not spoil the excellent performance.
"The only place we will meet again is our dreams," he said to finish his part, reaching for the now-crying Camilla's shoulder. She was good with tears. To finish up this take, he had to lean over Camilla's head and close his eyes. Routine. He wasn't here to enjoy it. They stayed like this for some time until a "Cut!" was heard, and they could become themselves again. Luca immediately stepped back from his co-star.
"Very good, both of you. We will do it again, but we have very good material," York said.
Luca got the confirmation he wanted. He looked around, expecting to see everybody sharing the director's opinion, after enjoying their performance. Instead, most crew members were preoccupied with their tasks. Some production staff were talking on their phones, as was that traitor Lexi. As for the intern, she had turned her back and was scrolling on her phone.
What the hell?
Didn't anyone realize how good he was? Weren't they ready to congratulate him?
"I was worried it would take us all day long. And we still haven't begun the scene where you are supposed to cry," Camilla said, knowing that he couldn't cry on demand.
"I got my tear stick. I'll cry like a baby."
"What's wrong with you? You were all set an hour ago," Camilla asked.
"Everything is fine. Just a rough start," he replied.
"No... I've worked with you for over two years. I think it's something else. Like that time when Isabella appeared on the set, remember? You got totally distracted," Camilla continued. Why on earth was she paying so much attention to that?
"Let's shoot it again!" the director said after quickly reviewing the footage. Luca was going to use the intern again, to see her face floored by his talent. But when he looked in the direction she was standing before, he realized she was gone. He started looking around to see where she had gone, but had no luck.
"Who are you looking for?" Camilla asked. Was she monitoring everything he was doing?
"Are you stalking me? That is creepy!" he complained, smiling.
"I pay attention to the things I like," she answered. Fuck... She looked at him like he was an object - or worse, a possession.
Just great!
______________________________
Without the intern there, his performance was missing something.
Usually, when he was filming or doing live performances, he avoided looking anyone straight in the eyes. On the rare occasions he did connect with someone in the audience, it was purely accidental. Even when he was singing – and he loved to sing – he liked to imagine he was alone, rehearsing.
People always told him how deeply he connected with the crowd, how everyone adored his live shows, but he never understood how he was doing it. He was a good actor after all. Always playing a part.
It turned out that on that particular day he had actually decided to make a connection. And once that connection was broken, his performance got worse and worse. After ten takes of the same scene, the director was irritated and finally gave up. "We have the first. Let's take a ten-minute break and move on," York ordered.
Luca rushed to find Lexi. She was on her phone again. How irritating!
"I understand, but it has to be today. Five? No way. Twelve. Yeah, try that thanks," he heard her say.
"What do you want, your highness?" she mocked with a slight bow when Lexi realised he was next to her.
"I want offerings and sacrifices… Now, where has that spy gone?"
"You mean Noelle?" Lexi looked at him like he had lost it.
"Yeah, the intern. You let her loose to investigate and dig up things about me, didn't you?"
"You lunatic. I'm not telling you where she is just to drive you mad."
"Listen. We need rules. Chloe made it clear she will impose things, impose her. So if the intern has to be on set, she has to stay within my field of view the whole time. I trust her even less than I trusted you back then," he said.
"Wait. Rules?" Lexi's tone shifted instantly. Her teasing vanished. She looked at him with concern instead. That was terrifying.
"Yes, rules. I want to know where she is and who she's talking to," Luca insisted.
"It really surprises me to hear this from you, but honestly... I think it's a good sign. Well done, Luca. I'm proud of you," Lexi said, smiling in a way that made him want to throw up. He had to hide his irritation.
"I'm not accepting her or anything. I just need to control her," he clarified, feeling the need to justify himself.
Lexi studied him for a moment, weighing her response. "Ok, Luca, I get it. If this is what you need, fine. I'll make sure she sticks around."
"Ok, go fetch her now," he ordered.
After a couple of minutes, there was still no sign of the intern. He was right. She had to be there so he could keep an eye on her. And yes, she had to be there to prove himself to her, to show her he was great. Not the healthiest motivation, but what in his life was healthy? At least Camilla wasn't sitting next to him. She was on a call with her manager, pacing like a caged animal.
"Guys, let's move on. We're rolling in five," Edward York shouted. He was extra grumpy today.
As he stood up to return to set, he spotted the silly girl with the awful hat approaching. Her expression was cranky, maybe nervous. She was heading straight to Lexi and avoiding eye contact with anyone. Before he could stop himself, the dumbest possible line left his mouth: "Hey Christmas! Did you fix it? The AC?"
She froze just a couple of meters away and looked at him. Shock washed over her face. Her cheeks turned a bright shade of red. Was it from the sun, or because he'd guessed she was dealing with the air-conditioning problem? No matter the reason, he had just come up with his next plan to break her. And Christmas was the perfect name for his new minion.